Genesis 38

1. And it came to pass at that time,that Judahwent downfrom his brethren,and turnedin to a certainAdullamite,whose namewasHirah.2. And Judahsawthere a daughterof a certainCanaanite,whose namewasShuah;and he took her,and went in unto her.3. And she conceived,and barea son;and he calledhis nameEr.4. And she conceivedagain, and barea son;and she calledhis nameOnan.5. And she yet again conceived,and barea son;and calledhis nameShelah:and he was at Chezib,when she bare him.6. And Judahtooka wifefor Erhis firstborn,whose namewasTamar.7. And Er,Judah’sfirstborn,was wickedin the sightof theLORD;and theLORDslew him.8. And Judahsaidunto Onan,Go inunto thy brother’swife,and marryher, and raise upseedto thy brother.9. And Onanknewthat the seedshould not be his; and it came to pass, whenhe went inunto his brother’swife,that he spillediton the ground,lestthat he should giveseedto his brother.10. And the thing whichhe diddispleasedtheLORD:wherefore he slew him also.displeased…: Heb. was evil in the eyes of the Lord11. Then saidJudahto Tamarhis daughter in law,Remaina widowat thy father’shouse,till Shelahmy sonbe grown:for he said,Lest peradventure he diealso, as his brethrendid.And Tamarwentand dweltin her father’shouse.12. ¶And in processof timethe daughterof ShuahJudah’swifedied;and Judahwas comforted,and went upunto his sheepshearersto Timnath,he and his friendHirahthe Adullamite.in process…: Heb. the days were multiplied13. And it was toldTamar,saying,Behold thy father in lawgoeth upto Timnathto shearhis sheep.14. And she puther widow’sgarmentsofffrom her, and covered herwith a vail,and wrapped herself,and sat inan openplace, whichisby the wayto Timnath;for she sawthat Shelahwas grown,and she was not givenunto him to wife.an open…: Heb. the door of eyes, or, of Enajim15. When Judahsaw her,he thought herto bean harlot;because she had coveredher face.16. And he turnedunto her by the way,and said,Go to,I pray thee, let me come inunto thee; (for he knew not that shewashis daughter in law.)And she said,What wilt thou giveme, that thou mayest come in unto me?17. And he said,I will sendtheea kidfrom the flock.And she said,Wilt thou givemea pledge,till thou sendit?a kid: Heb. a kid of the goats18. And he said,Whatpledgeshall I givethee? And she said,Thy signet,and thy bracelets,and thy staff thatisin thine hand.And he gaveither, and came inunto her, and she conceived by him.19. And she arose,and went away,and laid byher vailfrom her, and put onthe garmentsof her widowhood.20. And Judahsentthe kidby the handof his friendthe Adullamite,to receivehispledgefrom the woman’shand:but he found her not.21. Then he askedthe menof that place,saying, Whereisthe harlot, thatwasopenlyby the way side?And they said,There was no harlotin thisplace.openly: or, in Enajim22. And he returnedto Judah,and said,I cannotfindher; and also the menof the placesaid,thatthere was no harlot in thisplace.23. And Judahsaid,Let her takeitto her, lest we be shamed:behold, I sentthis kid,and thou hast not found her.be shamed: Heb. become a contempt24. ¶And it came to pass about threemonthsafter, that it was toldJudah,saying,Tamarthy daughter in lawhath played the harlot; and also, behold, sheiswith childby whoredom.And Judahsaid,Bring her forth,and let her be burnt.25. When shewasbrought forth,she sentto her father in law,saying,By the man, whose theseare, amI with child:and she said,Discern, I pray thee, whosearethese, the signet,and bracelets,and staff.26. And Judahacknowledgedthem,and said,She hath been more righteousthan I; because that I gaveher not to Shelahmy son.And he knew heragain no more.27. ¶And it came to pass in the timeof her travail,that, behold, twinswerein her womb.28. And it came to pass, when she travailed, thatthe oneput outhishand:and the midwifetookand boundupon his handa scarlet thread,saying,This came outfirst.29. And it came to pass, as he drew backhis hand,that, behold, his brothercame out:and she said,How hast thou broken forth?thisbreachbeupon thee: therefore his namewas calledPharez.How hast…: or, Wherefore hast thou made this breach against thee?Pharez: that is A breach30. And afterwardcame outhis brother,that had the scarlet threadupon his hand:and his namewas calledZarah.